There are 52 days to go before the start of the 2012 Absa Cape Epic. During a recent media event at the Radisson Blu in Johannesburg Dan Nichol, master of ceremonies, cheerfully reminded all the riders that they have 781km of tough terrain to cover, and 16300m to climb to earn their first finisher’s medal.

The days are counting down to the 2012 Absa Cape Epic as 1200 brave riders prepare their bodies, minds and bikes for eight tough days in the saddle in March. There's a little over one hundred days to go, so competitors should be focused on their programs. David George of Team 360Life, the top all-South African team, began on the 1st of December after a months rest. “We’ve started with some general preparation work, focusing on the basics like skills, lots of hours and including strength work. I’m 4kg heavier than race weight but that’ll come off gradually.”

WTB, in conjunction with Format, is proud to announce sponsorship of the first ever 29” mountain bike event to be held in China on Xmas Day 25th December! The inaugural event has an emphasis on fun and participation, but for those with competitive blood, there is also the opportunity to see who is the fastest on 29” wheels! 29” mountain bikes offer the possibility of faster cruising speeds and can provide riders with more confidence to negotiate downhill and technical sections with faster speeds than 26” mountainbikes...

The Crocodile Trophy is known globally as “the world’s longest and hardest mountain bike adventure for professionals and amateurs”. 2011 saw riders pedal from the 18th through to the 28th of October in search of the title "Toughest Mountain Biker on the Planet!" Legends such as Sir Bart Brentjens, Rene Haselbacher and 'the hulse' Kevin Hulsemans took part and suffered equally as bad as your average weekend warrior over 10 days and 1200 kilometers through the outback and rainforests of Northern Australia.

Although the shortest stage, stage three was undoubtedly the toughest that the riders faced. 16 kilometers in total, the stage climbed over 1,500 meters, in only 14 kilometers! Starting at the Kaghan Memorial School in Kawai, the race began with a steep 8 kilometer climb to the resort town of Shogran on paved roads, before taking to a very steep jeep track for the final 6 kilometer ascent to Pai, at an altitude of over 3,200 meters. There then followed 2 relatively easy circuits around the Pai meadows to complete the 2011 Tour of the Himalayas.

Stage two of the TCKP Tour of the Himalayas was held around Lake Saif-ul Maluk, close the town of Naran. Situated at 10,500 feet (3,200 meters), the race was held over a 6.5 km loop around the lake, featuring a technical circuit of rocky fields, mud, sand river crossings, and narrow tracks to replace the more physical challenge found on stage one.

Pakistan, Northwest Frontier Province, Himalayas. It was not the first place that popped to mind when it came to cycling, and racing. But when a friend called me a few months ago and asked if I was interested in riding, and racing in Pakistan, I leapt at the chance.

The weekend of September 16-18th saw 41 professional, and semi-professional cyclists invited from around the world, to travel to the Kaghan Valley, in the Northwest Frontier Province of Pakistan for the 3rd ‘Tour of Himalayas’. Held over 3 days, the race was challenging, both physically, and mentally for the riders. Riders from all over Pakistan, as well as Austria, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, Mongolia, New Zealand, Slovakia, and South Africa descended on the Kaghan Valley. Stage 1 was filled with last minute changes but the racing was consistently hard!

For every single rider participating in the Mongolia Bike Challenge, and even those not 'officially finishing', it is a momentous achievement that all should be proud of. It is arguably one of the hardest mountain bike stage races in the world and every rider had their own personal challenge from which they emerged a stronger rider.

It's official - Polygon Bicycles has just signed 19-year old Malaysian mountain bike prodigy, Shahriel Haizat. Haizat will soon represent Malaysia at the SEA GAMES in Indonesia (Jakarta) in November 2011.